Tahini roll
Sweet bun with tahini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tahini roll or tahini bread roll is a sweet pastry found commonly in the cuisines of the Levant, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.[1][2][3][4]
| |
| Alternative names | Tahinopitta, Tahinli çörek |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweet roll |
| Region or state | South Caucasus, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Levant |
| Main ingredients | Dough, tahini, sugar, cinnamon |
Geographic scope
Cyprus
Tahinopita is a type of tahini roll that is popular as a street food in Cyprus, it is likened to cinnamon rolls.[5][6][7] In the Cypriot capital of Nicosia, street vendors with carts or bikes, as well as bakeries sell tahini rolls.[8] They are popular during Lent as they can be considered vegan.[9][10]
Turkey
In Turkey, they are most popular during the month of Ramadan, during which they are consumed on suhur.[11]
Armenia and the Levant
Tahini rolls are popular in Armenia, where they are called tahinov hatz, Armenians migrating into Levant popularized the bread there.[3][1][2][12]
Preparation
The dough includes sugar and oil and has a texture between a bread and a cookie. It is leavened with yeast and can be baked after the first rise.[13] Sometimes the pastry may be soaked in syrup of sugar or honey and flavored with cinnamon.[7]
Tahini rolls are made by rolling the dough flat, spreading it with the tahini mixture, sprinkling with sugar and rolling into a log shape. The dough is then sliced into smaller pieces and flattened to form a circle.
Name and etymology
In Arab countries it is known as khubz tahini (Arabic: خبز الطحينة).[14][13] The Armenian name is Թահինով Հաց.[15] In the Greek language it is known as ταχινόπιττα (tahinopitta) or τασιηνόπιττα (tasinopitta); in Cypriot Greek the pronunciation is "tashinopita" with a "sh" sound as opposed to "h" in mainland Greek.[16][17]
In the Turkish language, the general term is tahinli çörek, although in Cypriot Turkish it is known simply as tahınlı or tahınnı.[18][19] The name ekmek tahinli is sometimes used as well.[20][21] The word çörek in Turkish refers to a variety of buns and breads, often sweet.[22][23]
